Pah

New Housemate

Penny is pregnant. Baby is due 13 January 2010. Daniel is going to have a sister or brother—we won’t know which until the day; he says it’s a girl.

Here’s a picture of the spark from the ultrasound on Wednesday:

Legs crossed. Thumb-sucking. Heartbeat like a large dog panting.

I say “we’re pregnant” to obvious consternation. Previously Penny was not pregnant, and obviously I was not pregnant. Now Penny is pregnant, and I am not as I was. I may not be pregnant like her, but as her partner I am dramatically transformed.

Penny is morning sick. We are healthy. We are happy.

Leather Wedding Anniversary

Wednesday the 3rd of December 2008—three years later—we met at Darling Gardens, and exchanged vows and rings in our spot.

(Dan stayed home with Pen’s parents. He’d had a long day and was in no mood for ceremony.)

Afterwards we went out for dinner and drinks at the Marquis of Lorne.

Long Weekend Rides

We went for two family rides on the long weekend. Both times we packed the bikes and trailer up into my small car, while Penny taxied Daniel in hers, so that we could start our ride from somewhere other than home.

On Friday, we drove down to Beacon Cove (i.e. suburb adjacent to Station Pier), then rode our bikes along the waterfront bike path to St Kilda. We stopped and ate a packed lunch at the beach east of the main beach (the beaches either side of the main beach are open to dogs!). Then we chained our bikes, converted Daniel’s trailer into a pram, and walked down Acland Street for some baked cheesecake and window shopping. On the return ride we stopped at South Melbourne’s wonderful fenced beach playground; there, Daniel finally mastered going down the slippery dip by himself.

On Saturday, we drove down to Ivanhoe, then road our bikes from Chelsworth Park along the Main Yarra Trail to Banyule Flats Reserve. The Yarra river (or Birrarung) is Melbourne’s greatest green space asset: it carves out land which cannot be used for residential or industrial purposes; and we’ve made good use of it, with bike paths, walking trails, parks, sporting fields, and golf courses. Riding along it was a big change from the previous day—hard going pulling the trailer on a mostly unsealed path. We ate our packed lunch at the Banyule Flats Reserve playground and let Daniel run free.

On the way back I got into a bit of trouble. The path, sealed at this point, drops precipitously on a spiral to pass under the bridge at Banksia Street. On the way out I had gone up this in first gear, very slowly (it’s not so steep that it required me to dismount to prevent the trailer from pulling my front wheel back off the ground). Going down it, I slowed, but the trailer rode up the spiral’s corner—possibly as gravity pulled on it to cut across my path. The trailer tipped over—a distressing sight for Penny following behind—but its frame protected Daniel’s head, and he was so sleepy at this point that he wasn’t at all concerned. We righted the trailer and Penny straightened the bent aluminium axle. Because of the weight of the trailer, I had to walk my bike while Penny held on to the trailer, to get it down the spiral.

Wedding

My dear friend, occasional co-worker, and fellow blogger, Andrew Bowie married my sister Katie on Sunday.

Congratulations!

Cyclovia

Today we attended Moreland City’s third(?) Cyclovia.

Ciclovia [Spanish = bike path] is a concept from Bogota, Colombia, where someone imagined it over thirty years ago: to shut down a road to cars and such, for the benefit of cyclists and pedestrians.

Moreland City shuts down Sydney Road, from Brunswick Road to Bell Street, a four kilometre stretch, and one of Melbourne’s most congested streets.

Pen and I got on our bikes, with me pulling Daniel in the baby trailer, and did a circuit, starting at Blyth Street. It was strange, quiet, beautiful. No cars, not even parked cars. Like something had happened. I guess something had. We perused the shops and cafes—riding is always the right pace for a distance like that.

There were cyclists: normal bikes, bikes with baby seats, bikes with baby trailers, bikes with trail-a-bikes, kids bikes, recumbents, dual recumbents… There were pedestrians (and their dogs). There were people on rollerblades and scooters. There was one guy on a motorised chair. The tram drivers all looked so happy—they made silly noises; one danced in his seat.

We stopped for a free sausage and vegeburger at a church. I discovered a local comic store. Pen looked at baby clothes. We admired some beautiful old buildings that we had driven past many times.

I hope we’ll see you there next Cyclovia.

Travelogue

Leaving the Bright Brewery (Saturday night, two weeks ago) we looked up and saw something bright in the sky—the International Space Station!

The next day we drove to Gundagai, on our way to Canberra.

Canberra was a surprise, we literally drove into the middle of it. I’m so used to cresting mountains and seeing a city (Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney) laid out in front of me. Canberra’s small and on flat land. We drove down the main road into the literal centre of town, then made our way out to the telecom tower via ANU.

ANU dominated the “centre of town” in a way that reminded me of Berkeley, California. From the observation deck of the telecom tower, I kept looking in the wrong places for things, continually overestimating the distances between them.

We visited the National Museum, National Library, Parliament, National Gallery, High Court, and War Memorial. (South of the river isn’t like Berkeley.) Some highlights:

• sitting in on an hour of Question Time at the House of Representatives
• magna carta
• Blue Poles
• a Messerschmitt 163 Komet
• discovering JMW Turner.

We visited my cousin, who has been in Japan for eight years, and his wife, and his son (my first cousin, once removed; Daniel’s second cousin).

We did not get to the Wig & Pen brewery pub.

Leaving Canberra we drove—not stopping at Picton—to Sydney, where we stayed three nights with the lovely Richard. He got us to the Lord Nelson brewery pub. He showed us Torchwood—2.1 (starring James Marsters), 2.6 (written by JC Wilsher, starring Martha), 2.7 and 2.8 (surely the first episodes of any show comprehensively respond to Buffy and Angel—and, wow!), and 1.9 (to demonstrate a running theme in the absence of 1.8)—convincing me to give the show another chance. He gave me my first apple of Jonathan Season. He was beautiful with Daniel.

Then it was home again, home again, via Gundagai.

Place names I’ll remember from this drive: Collector, Gunning, Harden. Eldorado. Boho.

It was refreshing.

Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday! To use a byte, I am 00011111 years old.

If I could have wished for weather, I would have wished for what I got: 37 degrees. We’ve been having a nice and toasty March.

For my birthday I got (to the tune of the Seven Days of Christmas):

• a pub lunch with Rob and Bowie
• cards from my grandparents
• Facebook writing on the wall from lots of people
• emails from my office manager, Jennie, and Laphroaig
• text from Harris
• a call from Rich
• and barbecue with my family.

Oh, to love, and be loved in return. Apologies to anyone and everyone to whom I am too disorganised to reply!

I got some extra scrummy things to read:

• Design City Melbourne by Leon van Schaik
• Time and Relative Dissertations in Space edited by David Butler
• Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Plus: green Converse hi sneakers!

Cotton Wedding Anniversary

We couldn’t do what was planned, because of rain, so we went for a lovely drive up to Warrandyte. Then we went to the Catholic wedding of one of Penny’s cousins. Afterwards, the rain cleared for us.

Monday the 3rd of December 2007—two years later—we drove to Darling Gardens, with Daniel, and exchanged vows and rings in the same spot, again.

Then it was home to drop Daniel with my mum for babysitting, and off to the cousin’s reception.

Bike Riding with the Boy

After quite some time, we’ve started riding again. A couple of weeks ago, Pen procured a bike trailer for the boy. This means we don’t need to worry about bike/rider stability, and, if he falls asleep in transit, he can stay that way upon arrival. (Also, it converts into a pusher.)

(It won’t attach to my bike, because of my quick release wheels.)

A couple of weeks ago, we rode from home, along Merri Creek, to Coburg Lake (5ish km). We had a picnic lunch there, amongst the family barbecues and wedding parties.

Today we rode the opposite direction, to Dights Falls (5ish km), with Rob.

(Pen has rode more with Dan, in between.)

I’ve often walked with Dan north along Merri Creek: it’s quite beautiful, a lush behind-the-scenes experience. When we rode further north, I saw carp—such big ones I haven’t seen since Japan.

But south is even more beautiful. There are parks and art installations. Behind Heidelberg Road, behind the Rushall retirement village. Past amazing Victorian houses in Fairfield. The creek pushes downwards, and overgrown cave-like walls rise up, like something from Wilsons Prom. It’s like we’re not in the city, but somewhere far away.

Because we don’t think well enough of the city.

Around Australia

Kangaroos, emus, eagles, foxes, cats, horses, cows, four trailer road trains up to 53.5m long—none could stop our journey. Cane toads I squashed. No wild camels on the road, and no snakes or wombats at all, alas.

Around Australia and back again. Two months and 12,273km in a camper van, plus another 500km in a 4WD. You know, it takes me about two years to do that distance in my Barina; Dad, a rural insurance broker, used to do it every month!

Let me draw you an approximate picture.

North to Bendigo, then Mildura. Across to Tanunda (Barossa Valley). Then to Adelaide. Up to Wilmington, then Wilpena. And down again. Across to Ceduna, and across the Nullarbor (and the longest stretch of straight road in Australia, possibly the world): Mundrabilla Roadhouse, Norseman. Up to Kalgoorlie-Boulder and across to Perth and Fremantle. Down to Yallingup and Margaret River. Down via Cape Leeuwin (where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean) and across to Pemberton, and Denmark, and Albany. Then back up to Perth and Rottnest Island. North via Pinnacles to Geraldton, and via Kalbarri to Denham (Monkey Mia). Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn to Coral Bay. Inland to Karijini National Park. North to Auski Roadhouse, and via Port Hedland to Sandfire Roadhouse, and to Broome. Then via Derby to Fitzroy Crossing (the Kimberley). And to Kununurra, and via the gateway to Purnululu to Timber Creek, and via Katherine to Darwin. And home by aeroplane.

Such places! Perth, the most remote city on Earth. The west coast, about the same distance from Melbourne as New Zealand is. The Kimberley, as close to Singapore as Victoria.

The landscapes are incredible. Australia must have a thousand different kinds of desert and semi-desert environment, and they are all stunning. Some of them are like other worlds.

I think I’m in love: Western Australia is my new favourite state, and Perth my favourite capital city.

Daniel loved the trip too. At home he easily consumed 110% of our time, but on the road was a different story. He slept when driven and enjoyed being carried on walks down gorges and such. He prefers the outdoors to indoors.

Well, you know, I don’t do travelogue, but I will post somewhat about our trip. To get a better picture, I suggest you check out Penny’s blog: Melbourne to Kalgoorlie (featuring friends and family), Perth to Margaret River and back (with Rob), up the west coast, and across the Kimberley.

What I learned to appreciate was the vast open spaces, empty of people. The distance between towns and the necessary slowness in between. This is a post-Industrial Revolution nation. Without the steam engine and the telegraph and the ability to pump water 563km uphill, what would we be?

I also started to think about mining, and the South Australia Company, and 1967.

I also drank a lot of beer.

Speed change

Australians talk about a sea change or tree change… but perhaps we just need a speed change?

I’m slowing down.

I’m going without my constant access to the internet for the next ten weeks.

I’ll see you then!

Cholesterol and Milk

One year later, and my weight and girth are acceptable, my liver is functioning normally, and my bad cholesterol is still down. My good cholesterol, the stuff mediated in the blood by high-density lipoprotein, is also down, however, increasing my chances of heart disease. What do I need to do? Eat fresh fish and walnuts. I would! but it’s so hard to orient any part of my lifestyle around myself right now.

I need to do more exercise too. Not for my weight, but for my back. Carrying baby extensively tightens everything up, restricting movement, leading to problems. I should go swimming.

While Pen feeds Daniel then expresses milk, I keep her company. We watch too much television. We watch the second Australian series of The Biggest Loser. I’ve really enjoyed watching the American Biggest Loser, bits of its second series and a special on families. I don’t enjoy our home-grown version. Where the Americans are expressive, empathic, and cooperative, the Australians are taciturn, self-absorbed, and game-playing. The Americans are on the show to lose weight and change lives, the Australians are there to win. The Americans give everything their best, the Australians are lazy, overconfident, and blame others when they don’t get results. The American series displays positive national character traits, while the Australian series parades some of our worse features. This is no [sixth Australian series] Big Brother. In addition, where that show is formally interesting television, The Biggest Loser eschews acting (showing the Losers’ behaviour) in favour of mediation (having them comment on their actions in retrospect) which only highlights what mediocrities they are. Still, we watch.

Feeding Daniel is hard work. Pen has to create the milk over a number of hours; she has to hold Daniel and monitor his attachment for the feed itself for half an hour to an hour; then she has to express milk for subsequent complementary feeds. She has to do this up to eight times a day. She hasn’t had more than two hours of sleep in a row in months. Daniel’s literally draining her. It shouldn’t be quite so hard, but Daniel has had a weak suck, which Pen has had to nurture him through (with my support). It’s important to give babies breast milk if you are able, and, because I’m home, we’ve been able. Breast-fed babies are healthier babies. Everything a baby needs for the first six months of development is provided by breast milk and not all of it can be replaced by substitutes. (This is also one of the reasons we worked so hard for a home birth, then a normal physiological childbirth: medical interventions interfere with breastfeeding.) Penny is so strong, with such a big heart, she is so beautiful, just amazing.

Now all her work is paying off. Daniel is three months old and he really seems to be settling down. He’s bright, he’s happy, he sleeps well, he gains weight. We won’t be stuck at home with the breast pump for much longer. Tonight we took him out to a restaurant and he was just fine. Afterwards we went for a drive around Beacon Cove. It was a good night. A good omen. Enough television… Mildura, Adelaide, Perth, the Kimberley: here we come!

Baby Poetry

My friend Sophie, who turned 31 yesterday, and one day wants to start her own non-denominational, non-religious religion, has written a beautiful poem about her lovely son, Caelan.

Yes, what is this kind of love I have for Daniel: genetic (?)
biological (?)
primal. The way that other babies’ screams just annoy me, but Daniel’s screams feel like someone has stabbed me in the eye with an ice pick. The way my body surprises me with the knowledge it would kill to protect him. The way my ego dissolves to serve him.

I wake up every night to feed him and to help him get back to sleep. My day is ordered around his being fed, having his nappy changed, playing, being helped off to sleep, sleeping. And around keeping the house and supporting Penny. Letting her get some more sleep. And I reduce my own sleep by taking time out to write here, to stay sane.

I’m sorry, dear reader, that I haven’t returned your emails
phone calls
CDs. I am in love.